R Glenn Masters

MASTERS, WILSON

Posted By: Donald M Wilson (email)
Date: 1/16/2017 at 16:01:57

He served his country as a .50 caliber machine gunner. His military history is as follows:
3 Nov. 1942 Enlisted-Camp Dodge, IA. - Age 36 yrs, 2 mos. He was listed as 5' 4” tall and weighed 173 lbs. His Service Number was 37 439 599.
He qualified as Expert on the Machine Gun, Sharpshooter on the Carbine and Marksman on the rifle.
Jun 1943: Assigned to Co E, 351st Engr. Reg., (a General Service Regiment)
Sep 1944 left Oahu, HI. for island of Leyte
Jan 1945: In Aid Station on Leyte: dysentery (diarrhea with blood) causing back pain constantly.
1 Jan 1945: Assigned to Battery B, 362nd Field Artillery Battalion, 96th Inf. Division
Mar 1945:left Leyte for Okinawa
1 Apr 1945- Arr. Okinawa
Sep 1945: In 24th Replacement Hosp. on Okinawa: dysentery and back pain.
1 Sep 1945: Assigned to 3063rd QM Co.
24 Sep 1945-left Okinawa (presumably for the States)
25 Oct. 1945-Honorably Discharged-Ft. Leavenworth, KS. due to being overage and physical limits.
MEDALS AND COMMENDATIONS: Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 2 Bronze Star devices. (No mention was made regarding the Combat Infantryman's Badge. I'd be surprised that he didn't earn this.) DMW

We have a photo of Nola wearing the Luzon Sword and Kalinga Sun Hat souvenirs he brought back from the Philippines that we still possess. (We surmise that he probably traded rations with the natives for these articles.) DMW

Note: Kalinga is a province of Luzon and an ethnic group of people there.

US 96th Infantry Division Chronology in the Pacific:
The division trained in Hawaiian Islands, July to September 1944, before entering combat in an assault landing in Leyte Gulf, Philippine Islands, (between Tanauan and Dulag), on 20 October 1944. The division continued to wipe out resistance on the island, engaging in small unit actions, patrolling, probing, and wiping out pockets of Japanese. Chalk Ridge was taken, 12 December 1944, and major organized resistance was at an end by Christmas Day.
The next 3 months were spent in mopping up, security duty, training, and loading for the coming invasion of Okinawa. 
The division left the Philippines, 27 March 1945, for Okinawa, making an assault landing on the island, 1 April 1945. The landing was unopposed and a beachhead was established near Sunabe, 1-3 April. Resistance stiffened considerably as the division advanced to Gakazu Ridge, where fighting was fierce, 7-16 April. The 96th assaulted and cracked the fanatically defended enemy defense line, Tanabaru Nishibaru, 17-23 April, and after advancing slightly against extremely determined resistance, was relieved, 30 April, by the 77th Infantry Division.
After a weeks rest, they returned to the offensive, 10 May, attacking and capturing Conical-Sugar Hill Ridge, 21 May, thus breaking the right flank of the Shuri defenses. Heavy rains the following week slowed down the advance. The offensive was resumed, 30 May, against weakening enemy resistance; Japanese north of Yonabaru-Shuri-NahaRoad area were cleared out. Resistance stiffened again, 3 June, and Laura Hill was taken, 14 June 1945, only after a bloody fight; the last important Japanese defense position, the Yuza-Dake, Yaeju-DakeHill mass, was secured by 17 June, and on 22 June all resistance was declared at an end. The division patrolled an area from Chan to Ogusuku until 30 June.
After resting in July 1945, the division left Okinawa for Mindoro, in the Philippines, and engaged in a training program. 
The division left the Philippines, 17 January 1946, for the United States.
SOURCE: Military Records at St Louis, MO. Form DD214 by D Wilson